I dropped into Ivana Bartoletti’s campaign launch rally. She is a candidate in London Labour’s selection process to be a candidate for the European Parliament. I was pointed to her by a Deptford comrade, Joe Dromey, visited her web site and like her story. There were three speeches, thankfully short, and she wrapped up. The other speeches were by Seema Malhotra MP and Jeanette Arnold OBE AM, and her supporters page includes statements of support from Dianne Abbot MP and Mike Gapes MP; oddly, …
This House, or when whips served the Party
I went to see “This House” earlier today. It’s the story of the Labour Whips who kept the Wilson and Callaghan government in power for 4½ years, without a majority for much of the time, from 1974 to 1979. It brought back many memories as I had joined the Labour Party in 74 and of course much of my politics was learned and established in the next 10 years. …
Billy Bragg on Thatcher’s Death
This is not a time for celebration. The death of Margaret Thatcher is nothing more than a salient reminder (cont) tl.gd/n_1rjll6e
— Billy Bragg (@billybragg) April 8, 2013
The full quote is below and on twitlonger, the URLs above and below take you there.
“This is not a time for celebration. The death of Margaret Thatcher is nothing more than a salient reminder of how Britain got into the mess that we are in today. Of why ordinary working people are no longer able to earn enough from one job to support a family; of why there is a shortage of decent affordable housing; of why domestic growth is driven by credit, not by real incomes; of why tax-payers are forced to top up wages; of why a spiteful government seeks to penalise the poor for having an extra bedroom; of why Rupert Murdoch became so powerful; of why cynicism and greed became the hallmarks of our society.
Raising a glass to the death of an infirm old lady changes none of this. The only real antidote to cynicism is activism. Don’t celebrate – organise!”
Billy Bragg
Calgary, AB, Canada 8th April 2012
Budget 2013
Osborne’s budget was not good for him and the Tories, and they were partly lucky, and partly cunning as they buried in stories that focused on other issues. There were four headline issues to consider, Macroeconomics, Tax, Housing and Beer. …
Disgrace
Yesterday, Labour’s Leadership let itself, its members and its supporters down.
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Ian Duncan Smith has instructed his civil servants and their private sector agents to break the law. 20 years ago, the Minister would have resigned, and why not? It’s not as if he didn’t mean to illegally threaten job seeker allowance claimants with loss of benefit if they didn’t take ‘work placements’, in effect working for free. …
We need a Press that serves the public, not just Oligarchs
We are down to short strokes on the nation’s political leadership’s response to the Levenson Enquiry and #hackgate. Cameron, at the behest of the right wing press broke of talks with Labour and the Libdems last week and Nick Cohen throws a thromby in the Guardian yesterday and the Sun, in a reverse Godwin’s Law manoeuvre bring Churchill’s indomitable commitment on Press Freedom to play, shown in this tweet, and on the front page of the Sun, …
Note on the Bedroom Tax
On top of the reduction of Housing Benefit, a reform that will cause massive hardship to tenants, many of whom are in full time work, the Government proposes to reduce the benefit even more for those deemed to be over-occupying their property. Left Foot Forward lists 5 things David Cameron doesn’t want you to know about the Bedroom Tax. …
Boris in Catford
Boris Johnson, London’s occasional Mayor held one of his mandatory People’s Question Time sessions in Catford, towards the south of the London Borough of Lewisham. The event took place within spitting distance of the Lewisham’s hospital that is losing its Intensive Care Unit, jeopardising the A&E and Maternity Units.
Paul tells the story with a storify page, with the accurate if not particularly catchy title “People’s Question Time in Catford, March 2013”. …
Hugo Chavez RIP
Hugo Chavez, President of Venezuela died this week. Tariq Ali wrote an obituary in the Guardian. I remember him by posting two quotes from him. …
Vicky Foxcroft enters the fray
Vicky Foxcroft has just announced her intention to stand as Labour’s candidate to replace Joan Ruddock as MP for Lewisham Deptford
Delighted to announce I’m standing to succeed the wonderful Joan Ruddock MP as Labour MP in Lewisham Deptford #vicky4deptford
— vickyfoxcroft (@vickyfoxcroft) March 4, 2013
She is one of the two Labour Councillors for Brockley Ward, which is where I am a member and currently act as Secretary …